USS Reliant: DALIA
by OceanxEyes
Summary: Have you ever been rescued from an alien zoo? Did you join Starfleet to honor the people that rescued you? Have you ever wrestled with emotional demons you refuse to acknowledge? Have you ever fallen in love with an alien? It's okay that you haven't, it makes getting to know Dalia that much more interesting.
1. Episode One

Episode One: New Exhibit

 _"Darling gather your things quickly," the girl of ten looked up from her reading as her mother swept into the room. Panic that was not her own flooded the young girls' senses. Seeing the urgency in her mother's face the girl wasted no time in grabbing her shoes, jacket and data padd as her mother swept her towards the escape pods._

 _"Mother, what's happening?" She glanced at her mother, trying to keep pace with her mother's frantic movements. Ignoring the question, they moved briskly through the halls of the ship they had called home for the last month. The girl noticed for the first time that her mother was holding a phaser. The girl's eyes widened a fraction_ _–_ _for her mother to take arms was a chilling call to the severity of the situation. The girl knew she could try to penetrate her mother's mind for answers, but as her own fear started to creep in, she knew it would be near impossible to concentrate enough for what the task required._

 _They were only a few turns away from making it to the escape pods when a phaser blast hit the wall just above the girl's head. Her mother grabbed her arm and sprinted the rest of the way to the pod bay. Luckily no one else was around as her mother punched in the correct sequence to open a pod._

 _"Hurry darling, quickly now." Her mother gently pushed her into the pod while glancing over her shoulder._

 _"Shouldn't we wait for dad?" the girls voice small as she peered up at her mother, whose head snapped back to meet her daughters stare. Her mother tried to mask the truth but the emotions her mother was projecting couldn't be ignored. The young girls' eyes welled with tears as she recognized the foreign emotion. Despair. Voices could be heard coming down the hall her, mother gave her one final shove and sealed the hatch. The girl dropped the things she was clinging to and rushed to the little pod window. The clicks and hiss of the pod detaching from the ship flooded the small space. The unknown aliens cornered her mother, the light of the phaser flashed in the room a second later. The gruesome image became smaller and smaller as her pod hurtled away from the ship._

 _Her hands curled against the glass as tears rushed down her face._

 _"Mom…Dad…"_

The girl's eyes snapped open _–_ her arms out stretched, reaching toward the sterile white ceiling. Her fingers were curled as if in the middle of trying to grip something. The cacophony of emotions she was experiencing was almost overwhelming. She blinked rapidly trying to dispel the dream, her arms lowered as she moved to sit up. She combed her fingers through her hair and finally looked around, trying to decipher what had pulled her from her memory dream.

Gently opening her senses wider, she felt the onslaught of her neighbors. There was a feeling of anticipation, caution and a little excitement coming from all around. Placing her feet on the floor she stood up and padded to the big viewing window. The domicile across from her that had been empty for the last few months, now had two men and one-woman lying unconscious on the floor.

"You're finally up, it's about time. I thought you were going to miss the new arrivals waking up." She didn't miss the excitement in her right neighbor's voice or the wave of anticipation that seeped into her skin. She shuffled over to the replicator. "Favorite morning drink," she mumbled, she yawned as the replicator lights swirled. Once the replicator was finished, she picked up the warm drink and shuffled back to the viewing window.

"Did you see the caretakers bring them in?" She asked seating herself against the shared wall close to the window. There was a non-committal grunt sigh that could only mean that he had not.

"I saw them bring them in about an hour ago. They haven't moved." The neighbor on her left chimed in with a soft feminine murmur. She blew on her drink, but kept her eyes concentrated on the bodies across the way.

"They are very unusual." the left neighbor continued. She could feel the awe and caution radiating of the neighbor.

"Are we sure they're alive?" The girl chimed in staring at them trying to determine a sign of life. She brought the cup to her lips and took a small sip _–_ humming in satisfaction she took another sip, the liquid tickling her taste buds as it made its way down her throat. There was another grunt that was almost a chuckle that came from the right.

"You kno…" The neighbor on her right stopped short when one of the bodies across the way started to stir. She saw a few of the aliens walking along the walk way _–_ between the domiciles _–_ stop and stare in interest.

~McCoy~

McCoy's head was throbbing worse than a Romulan ale hangover. He opened his eyes and immediately realized that he was sprawled on the floor of an unknown room. He tried to look without too much movement incase the ones who had drugged him were still around. Not hearing any movement, he slowly started to rouse himself to an upright position.

He took in the sterile white room with two doors leading to what looked like bedrooms. On the wall to the right was a replicator. He placed his hand to his forehead as a wave of a pain fought for his attention.

"Damn it." He hissed as he scanned the rest of the room. It was an empty, nothing but white and open space. He saw Jim and Uhura the same time he saw the viewing window, and it made him unsure how he had missed it until now. It was a giant floor to ceiling window in place of the fourth wall of the room, directly across from the bedrooms. He saw a small unknown alien staring at him with its head tilted slightly in curiosity.

"What are you looking at?!" He groused. It jumped scurrying off. He turned to Jim and Uhura to check for injuries. With out his medical scanner he felt naked, but he poked and prodded at the others until he saw that like him, they hadn't incurred any injuries when they were transported. They were in a deep sedated sleep and he wasn't sure what was used. He growled in frustration trying to recall the events leading up to waking in the room.

He turned back to the viewing window and was shocked yet again. Past the walk way _–_ the alien had been on _–_ was a row of viewing windows like his own with various creatures milling about in personalized environments. He moved forward looking left, right and up and inhaled sharply at the stacks and rows of viewing windows sprawling higher and wrapping out of his line of vision. He could see aliens _–_ similar to the one looking at him when he woke up _–_ walking across walkways, stopping occasionally to glance in a viewing window before moving on.

He stumbled back as if struck. An image of the San Francisco Zoo sprung to his mind. His body constricted in anger. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the alien across from him flinch as if in pain.

He finally assessed the girl and her domicile as closely as she was analyzing him. Her room had pastel sky-blue walls, with two columns made to look like trees as the center piece of her room. There was a hammock suspended ten feet off the floor secured between each tree. Her room reminded him of a children's fairytale forest. He thought he saw her look down abashed before once again staring his direction.

He saw her take a sip of her drink, glancing at him over the top of her cup.

She was a humanoid female, possibly twenties, cinnamon colored hair, hard to tell height from her seated position but he would guess average, pale skin and…pure black eyes.

"Betazoid!?" He breathed out in confusion and surprise. She cocked her head in confusion, a smile tugging the corner of her lips.

"That is a very unusual way of greeting someone." She replied softly her smile growing. He was struck dumb. He recovered quickly, clearing his throat as he prepared to address her.

"My name is Dr. Leonard McCoy. Representative of the United Federation of Planets," he stared at her as her brow scrunched in thought. "We were on our way to a help evacuate stragglers from a planet that's sun was about to go super nova…We sustained heavy damage and the next thing I know I'm waking up here." He told the story more to himself as the bits and pieces started to come together. He lost himself in trying to delve deeper into his memories but coming up short. He straightened to his full height and turned ready to get some answers. He saw her swirling her drink in her cup before taking another sip, this time more focused on the drink than him.

"What is this place?" He asked calmly watching as her express turned solemn.

"That vision of the places with all animals in caged areas that you were thinking of earlier _–_ " His jaw went slack, he had heard about the Betazed capability of telepathy but had not yet met one. They had been admitted to the federation almost ten years ago, and he had not had the opportunity to encounter one. He composed himself and interrupted her.

"A zoo?"

"Yes, I suppose that is your word for it, it is the closest representation of what this place is."

"I gathered that, where are we? What quadrant are we in?" He grumbled, he wished Jim was awake he was much better at playing diplomat. He wasn't asking the right questions in the right way. He watched the girls face flush. The alien to the girls right shifted forward, a female Cardassian. It was grey and reminded him of a snake. He heard the betazoid chuckle softly.

"No need to get rude with the girl she was merely trying to answer your question," The soft almost bored tone rubbed against his already thin patients. "It should be obvious that we don't have access to that kind of information. We are at the humble mercy of the caretakers, until our entertainment value runs out." She sighed softly before turning and walking far enough into her domicile until he could no longer see her. He took in the dark and dangerous looking motif of the grey alien's room. It sent an odd shiver down his spine. He knew the federation didn't have many interactions with Cardassians and for good reason.

"We were all kidnapped and brought in unconscious." McCoy's head snapped to the left as he took in the Betazeds left neighbor. His eyes widened a fraction. Klingon?! The male Klingon was lithe compared to some of the others he had seen, but it was still as aggressive in stance and facial expression. Before he could gather his thoughts enough to respond he heard Jim and Uhura stirring behind him. He turned quickly to help them.

~Kirk~

McCoy quickly gave him a brief update of the situation. Kirk moved to the viewing window, hoping to spark an idea for an escape plan. As he glanced around, he had to agree with McCoy's assessment. This was some sort of alien zoo, and they had become the new exhibit. He turned to the girl across the way, she was staring at him in curiosity. A Betazed, he couldn't believe it. He had only met the ambassador once when they were first admitted to the federation. She was sat up against the wall shared with the Klingon, drinking some sort of beverage.

"My name is James T. Kirk. Admiral in the United Federation of Planets _–_ "

"Your friend also mentioned this Federation of Planets, what is it?" She interrupted, glancing at McCoy before shifting her eyes back to him in wonder.

"We'll get to that, but first, what is your name?" He needed something to address her by.

"I don't remember." The answer threw Kirk, how long had this girl been here for her to forget her own name? Or had they done something to her to make her forget? Was she messing with him?

"Is there something I can call you? What do the others call you?" He indicated her two neighbors. She smiled sadly at him.

"I don't have a name, they call me girl or child in their native tongue and have refused call me anything else. Not that I've tried to change it, I kind of like it." a playful smile spread across her face. He heard the girl's neighbors chuckle softly.

"They however both have names," a mischievous glint flashed through her eyes. "Hey!" "Wait a minute." Two voices called out simultaneously. The Klingon more indignant than the calm voice of the Cardassian.

"That is Ke'tak," she gestured to her left. Kirk noted the Klingon did not look pleased. "and this is Gul Mila," gesturing to the female alien. She also looked displeased but the way she held herself reminded Kirk of some one of high authority. Composed and calm with an undercurrent of danger.

"Ke'tak calls me be'Hom, and Gul Mila calls me gorma." She continued not able to see the irritation from the other two aliens. The smile on her lips however gave away that she knew exactly how they felt about the matter.

"I would like to have a name unique to your culture Admiral." Her face innocent as she gave a soft warm smile to the Admiral.

"Would you pick one for me?" Her voice even and calm, but he detected a hint of hesitation.

"Give us a second." He mustered an encouraging smile and watched as she returned it. He turned and shared a confused look with Uhura and saw McCoy raise an eyebrow.

"Jim you can't be serious, we need to be finding a way out of here not name a girl like some sort of alien pet." McCoy whispered fiercely. Kirk shoot him a look with a mix of amusement and irritation.

"She may be able to help us figure a way out of this place, it doesn't hurt to establish a relationship with her."

"We have no idea if she'll be able to help us." Kirk knew that McCoy was projecting his frustration and contempt for the situation on this girl. It had happened too many times throughout the years of knowing him, that it was best to just let him expel it. He ignored McCoy for a moment and turned to Uhura for an idea.

"You're the one with a son, you should be very practiced with picking out a name." Uhura stated an amused smile curling her lips. Kirk let out a sigh.

"You know Chris is named after Pike, there wasn't a lot of creative searching." He stated with spirited exasperation. Uhura shot him a smirk.

"You should hope that Ramona never has a girl, you'll be utterly lost." She shot back. Uhura moved closer to the viewing window to analyze the girl more closely. She pursed her lips as she lost herself in the hunt. They had been staring at each other for a few minutes.

"That one, I like that one." The girl suddenly interrupted. Kirk saw Uhura jump slightly. Uhura quickly recovered her composure and smiled softly at the girl.

"Dalia it is."

~Dalia~

These earthlings were far more engaging than any of the other aliens that had ended up in this _–_ what had the one named McCoy called it _–_ zoo. Their emotions and ideas were far more diverse and entertaining than the others around her. Maybe because there were three of them. They seemed to be old by their earth's standards. Something she determined as she walked through their memories.

"How long have you been here?" Uhura asked suddenly, her voice soft.

"What year is it?" The others glanced at each other and then at Dalia with pity. She had an idea but needed verification of the year to provide an accurate answer.

"It's 2281." Kirk answered. Her heart constricted tightly as the memory dream came rushing back unexpectedly.

"That means I've been here for about eight years." Her voice resigned. There was a long pause from across the walkway. She got up and went through the effort of dusting herself off. They started to discuss among themselves, she couldn't quite catch it and she had already paraded around their heads enough for now. She only understood about half of what she saw in their minds, anyway. Lack of context a big factor. She knew her neighbors didn't trust them, but from what she saw they were people that only had the best interest of others in mind. Even that cranky one named McCoy cared for his crew members when they were unconscious.

"Well this has been interesting, but I need to go get ready for the rush." She forced a smile before moving to the replicator to dispose of her cup and headed back into her room to shower and change. She heard the one named McCoy say something about there already being lots of aliens about. Before she closed the bathroom door, she heard Ke'Tak laugh and something along the lines of wait and see.

* * *

Notes/Thoughts:

-Dalia is pronounced (Dah-lee-ah), it's a flower which generally denotes elegance and dignity.

\- This story is going to be a romance/adventure story with Spocks son from my other story. I'm going to throw Kirks son in as well from my second story. (It'll probably be three or four episodes from now before they even meet each other).

You don't need to read my other stories to understand this one. Partially because it was half way through my second story that I got an idea for this story, which means my other two stories won't link together when you read them. If you want to read them awesome, but you shouldn't need to in order to enjoy this story. I'll give you any background that may have been covered in the other stories, flood me questions if I don't.

Ramona Hill is Kirks wife in my second story, their sons name is Chris named after Christopher Pike. He was showing signs of being a trouble maker like both his parents. At the end of my second story he wasn't yet a teenager.

Vivian DeLuna is Spocks wife in my first story, their sons name is Varek. He is one fourth Vulcan. At the end of my first story he was just starting Starfleet academy.

I'll be readjusting the timelines and the characters to fit into this one, it should be relatively painless.

-The USS Reliant is an actual ship in the star trek universe. I'm doing some creative finagling with it that isn't cannon, hopefully you'll forgive me.

-Cardassians don't have a known language so I made up the word for girl.

\- I generally try to stick to the timeline as much as I can, sometimes I call from the shows, sometimes the movies (new and old). Betazoid were admitted into the federation 2273, Cardassians history is a little fuzzy.

I'll say sorry to anyone that was reading the Subject 73 story I had. I deleted it because I just couldn't make the plot work for me, it was too messy, and I had lost my mojo while writing it. I was hoping that Star Trek: Discovery might jump start my inspiration, but I am beyond disappointed with that show. I will take a line from Bobs Burgers and say the shows plot and characters are 'Overdone and Dry'. STD is the acronym, which is fitting in a way, we're stuck with it and it's an all-around unpleasant experience to be apart of. I've honestly given up on the show and I could go on, but I'll stop and share what really inspired me to jump back in and try my hand at this story.

We watched The Orville, at first, I was very cautious because Seth McFarlane shows tend to be a bit too much at times. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how much it felt like Star Trek and how well it distanced itself from it at the same time. There are moments that are a little weird and if you don't like his type of humor than you probably won't like it, but I was really inspired by the show the same way the other shows (non STD) have inspired me to write. I got the idea for this episode from one of the first Episodes of The Orville, the alien zoo idea (no doubt inspired from the Star Trek Original Series Pilot) kick started the story that's unraveling in my head. From here on there probably won't be many or any similarities between The Orville and my story. It was more of a point of motivation and inspiration.

Thank you for checking out my new story. I love to hear from people about what they love, what they hate, and anything in between. Let me know if you have any questions about anything. See you next episode.


	2. Episode Two

Episode Two: Escaping the Inevitable

 _"Make it stop!" the young girl wailed in her empty white room. The overload of emotions around her stabbed at her skin and the thoughts burned her mind. She sunk to her knees, hugging herself tightly. She folded her body, her forehead pressed firmly to the floor. Her body shaking as she sobbed._

 _"Please, make it stop…" her voice hoarse and barely above a whimper. The emotion coming from the aliens around her was too much, too different and it piled onto her own grief. She had no idea how to process this much raw negative emotion. She was in too much pain to concentrate on her father's directions about empathetic control. She had only just started learning how to control her telepathy and emotional awareness before the ship attack. Thinking about the ship attack and the days of isolation after brought a new upsurge of her own grief and terror._

 _Her pod had floated for a few days in deep space, before being picked up by these caretaker aliens. She had been pulled out of her sedated sleep by raging voices in her head and an on slot of misery so strong it felt like it was seeping into her skin and invading her body. Her head felt like it was going to crack, and her heart felt like it was being ripped out of her chest._

 _Then as soon as the voices had started, the voices stopped as if a switch had been flipped. She still hugged herself tightly against the emotions still bombarding her senses, but now she was able to concentrate on shielding herself. She breathed slowly building a shield piece by piece. She slipped a few times and flinched at each failure, but every time she did, she was able to move a little faster. Until finally she blocked all the emotions that had been assaulting her. She could still feel the emotions on the other side, but it was like a wave gently pushing against a barrier._

 _She wiped her eyes and finally stood up and looked around. The home across the way held an older male alien with pointed ears, dull black hair flecked with grey and white, and strange eyebrows. He was staring at her calmly but intently._

 _"You have much to learn" his calm emotionless voice stated._

Dalia flinched violently at the memory, a shiver ran down her spine. She had not thought of Nirak since his death three months ago. She shut off the shower and started to dry herself.

Nirak had taught her to control her telepathy and the emotion sensing. He tried to bring her to logic, but she was too betazoid to lose herself to his teachings. She held firm to her parents' teachings of emotion being something to treasure. Vulcans did not hold emotions as highly as betazoids. That was one of the only things they 'clashed' over. He was incredibly patient with her. She sighed deeply, suppressing the emotions once more.

She got dressed quickly and walked back to the main living area. She glanced across the way and saw the three earthlings tightly huddled, gesturing wildly with voices low. She smiled, they were so amusing. She really hoped their plan worked, but she wouldn't mind learning new things from them if it failed.

She coughed gently to get their attention. They stopped mid argument and turned to her.

"If you want to decorate your room, the control is on the wall next to the replicator," Dalia stated pointing to the strange panel. She searched their minds for a comparison they would understand.

"It works similar to your…holodeck." She continued before mentally counting down. Her viewing window shimmered before disappearing. The earthlings gaped at her, they moved forward and started looking at their viewing window edges. They were too busy analyzing theirs to notice that no one else was free. They also missed the fact that there were barriers a few exhibits down, keeping her contained to this small area.

The aliens formed a small line in front of a chair that had suddenly appeared. She took a calming breathe before sitting down. A small friendly smile slide in place as the first alien came forward and tentatively reached out and touched her before flinching back as if afraid Dalia would try to bite. It did that a few more times before getting up and rushing over to family or friends and excitedly recounted its experience with her, as if she was a dangerous animal. The line progressed and so did the reactions to her, some would gently touch her head like they would a pet, some would talk to her in gibberish as if she were a baby. There were hardly any that treated her as intelligent creature. When she was younger, she had tried to talk to them, too lonely and young to understand they didn't see her as more than an animal. At the time she was willing to take anything she could get to avoid the grief. She had long ago learned to retreat from reality while this activity happened. This time however she decided to invade the new neighbors' minds.

McCoy and Uhura radiated shock and disgust as the line moved. They tried to look away but there was nothing to look at in their room. When she probed Kirk she was surprised by where his thoughts were going.

The Admirals thoughts swirled and twisted with ideas of using her to escape, but he was unsure how. She didn't blame him for his thoughts, if she was militarily trained –like most of the aliens around her seemed to be— it might have been something she would have tried to pursue. She didn't detect malice in his intentions just grim determination how to approach her about this new-found information. Of course, she would help him answer any questions he had, but she didn't think she would be much help. She didn't know the inner working of how things run, she just knew timing and seeing his ideas she felt like he would at least be grateful for that much.

Several hours later the rush ended, she stood up just as the chair disappeared. It had taken her years to get the timing right. There were a lot of sore butts when she didn't get up quick enough.

When she looked back to the earthlings, she saw that Kirk hadn't moved and was staring intently at the aliens. The other two were working on getting something to sit on and arguing over what was more comfortable.

"Does this happen every day?" Kirk asked with concealed anger turning to stare at her, his eyes holding an intensity she had never seen. There was also a flash of concern when he looked at her. She gave him a warm smile, it had been a very long time since someone showed her genuine concern. She tilted her head in a small nod, climbing back into her living quarters. His thoughts pulsed with controlled anger.

"Admiral, it would be wise to stop associating me with thoughts of your son." Surprise splashed across his face, but in an instant, it was gone. If she didn't have the residual feeling on her skin, she would have thought she had imagined it.

"We may be close in age, but it will make it much harder for you to leave me behind if you invest too much emotion in me." She knew the words were falling on deaf ears, she saw the way he thought. He saw her as a child that reminded him of his own child and he subconsciously started to work her into his plans of escape. Children were a weak spot for him, especially his son. Before he could respond she started to fill him in on the timing system on her viewing window and everything else she knew about this place.

~Kirk~

The girl was an enigma. One minute she would be closed, serious and unapologetically honest, the next she would be soft, warm and gentle. He could see her grappling with how to behave, like she was struggling with an internal voice. Almost as if it was scolding her when she was too open or too closed. He had a hard time watching her struggle with her identity. It made him think of Chris and if he was struggling to find his identity. Shame blossomed in his chest just thinking of not being there to help him through a difficult time in his life. He had missed a lot of those thanks to his job.

"Admiral, please stop comparing us." There was that plea again, she had been talking to him for a few hours now about the ins and outs that she had learned over the time she had been here. It was still unsettling how she just answered questions before he asked them or commented on things, he had been thinking about, but it did save on time. This however was something that he was being constantly scolded for. He kept thinking of Chris and each time assuring himself that he would get her out and return her to her family. He imagined Chris in her place and overwhelming emotions seized his chest.

"Admiral please…" He looked back at her in alarm. She sounded as if she were in pain. He quickly realized his mistake.

"I'm sorry, I forget that you can feel this too." His voice apologetic.

"Perhaps it's best if we stop here. I usually don't get to speak this much and it's quite exhausting." A tired playful smile flashed across her face. No matter what she tried to tell him, he was already invested in her and he would get her out of here somehow.

-A Month Later-

"Like I've told you many times before doctor…reading your mind at times feels like reading a challenging book, I can understand the words but not the message it is trying to convey. There are limits and sometimes I need context." Dalia let out a frustrated sigh, but a smile curled her lips showing she was enjoying this interaction.

"How can you not understand what…" he was cut off when the viewing window on their exhibit shimmered away. Kirk and Uhura who had been pretending not to listen to yet another nonsensical argument—which happened almost daily as McCoy tried to educate her about earth—both stood up in shock. All three hesitantly stepped out of the room. Dalia felt panic slide through her senses. She had bonded with these earthlings and she didn't want to see them go. She had tried to keep her distance, tried to resign herself to the fact they would escape. Their memory showed they were lucky and resourceful and that this was inevitable. She knew this was coming but the fear of losing someone she was close to yet again made her heart hurt.

She knew her viewing window wasn't set to disappear for another five minutes. They would most likely be gone by then, she wouldn't every get to touch them…to hug them. She had seen Kirk and McCoy both comfort Uhura with a hug when she would get upset with the situation. The feeling radiating off her was something that Dalia had been craving since her parent's death—comfort. Dalia felt the hollow reality settle in her chest. She felt Ke'tak and Gul Mila shock and contempt radiating from either side of her, but it was dull compared to her own sorrows. They had not bonded with the earthlings as she had. She didn't realize she had both her hands up to press against glass, until she felt the slight sting of the viewing window when she touched it. Kirk looked to her then.

"How long do you have before your window comes down?" His voice urgent as he looked around before looking back her, waiting for an answer. The aliens around seemed cautious but otherwise unconcerned. She wondered if this happened in other parts of the facility.

"You know how long James." Her voice soft and sad. His eyes hardened slightly.

"I'm not leaving you behind." His voice firm and full of conviction.

"You must go, I don't think you have much time." Her voice gentle and resigned. He opened his mouth to argue, but there were voices coming up the walkway. They moved to scramble to hiding spots, but it was too late a caretaker alien and a hooded figure came around the corner. They seemed unconcerned by the earthlings out of the living quarters.

"You have to understand they are very popular, I don't like the idea of breaking up the set," The caretakers voice was jovial as he discussed the earthlings as if they were fine china.

"The price you offered however is too generous to ignore," he continued not waiting for the hooded figure to respond.

"I just hope you don't choose the female, I am quite fond of her and so are the guests." His laugh reverberated around the area. She could feel and see the concealed rage and contempt on the faces of the earthlings, she was surprised that her emotions matched there's. She had never felt this way against a caretaker. They had always been kind to her, they had saved her when she was a child. But the idea that one of the earthlings was going to be sold away hurt and angered her more than if they had all escaped.

Suddenly her viewing window shimmered away. Delight surged through her. She jumped down in excitement intent on getting close to the Admiral but stopped when the caretaker shot her a look.

"It seems I have forgot to turn the window timer on her exhibit off, please excuse me a moment," he stated to the hooded figure before turning his attention to her.

"Your sideshow is canceled for the day, no hop back in." He waved his hand at her, she saw the others comparing it to the way someone would dismiss a dog. She didn't like that comparison and was too distracted by irritation to move. The caretaker surprised by her lack of obedience moved in front of the hooded figure to discipline her. He made it two steps before he made a face and slumped to the ground. She stared at the alien on the ground in surprise before looking up at the hooded alien with caution. The earthlings however seemed to feel relief and excitement at the newcomer.

"It's about time you showed up. Another month and I really would have started to worry." Kirks voice was happy as he clapped the hooded figure on the shoulder.

"So how do you plan to get us out of here?" McCoy chimed in eyeing the downed alien.

"Another day with these two and I thought I was going to lose my mind." Uhura added humor lacing her voice. Dalia watched in utter confusion. They're thoughts were jumbled and jumping, and she couldn't get a picture of who this person was other than someone they trusted completely. The hooded figure continued to let them ramble as he turned to them pulling back his hood.

"I think it is best we wait until we get out of here before you thank me." His voice deep and calm. Dalia curiously stepped closer and saw the side of his face, specifically his ear. Every thought she had flew out the window. Pure unadulterated joy slammed into her.

"Nirak!?" she surged forward and grabbed his arm near the wrist. An on slot of emotions and faces slammed into her head. The realization he wasn't her old teacher slammed into her sucking the happiness out. She let go on reflex, but she could see he still struggled with the emotional transfer.

"I'm sorry…you...you looked like someone I knew." Her voice small and lost. He composed himself quickly ignoring the odd glances of the earthlings.

"We must leave quickly, I will explain later." His voice rough. The others nodded with out a word. Dalia stepped over to the Admiral.

"I know you don't have much time…" she lunged forward before she lost her nerve wrapping her arms around his middle. She tensed closing her eyes and only relaxed when she felt his arms encircle her pulling her tight. She heard the Vulcan say something. Her eyes popped open as she heard the word transport.

She looked to Gul Mila and Ke'tak who looked on sadly, she sent a mental farewell before the transporter lights swirled around her.

* * *

I love to hear from people about what they love, what they hate, and anything in between. Let me know if you have any questions, see you next episode.


	3. Episode Three

Episode Three: A Year to Learn

 _"Where are we?" Dalia's voice small and trembling. The emotions of others were gone but her own were like a strong current ebbing and flowing inside her._

 _"The last place you'll ever see." An angry voice growled from her right, she jumped and let out a squeak in fear. She couldn't see the alien, but the voice was unexpected and the aggression behind it even more frightening._

 _"Do not scare the child." A soft feminine voice soothed from her left. Dalia was still cautious but liked the unseen alien on her left more._

 _"Better she finds out now rather than later." He grumbled out, upset about being chastised._

 _"She needs get a control of her emotions first and foremost and you are not helping the matter." The alien across from her demanded calmly._

 _"Who are you?" She asked softly terrified._

 _"My name is Nirak, I'm a Vulcan." He responded gently and calmly._

 _"Gul Mila." "Ke'tak" They didn't offer species identification._

 _"How old is she? She sounds small and frail" Ke'tak demanded with less aggression._

 _"I'm ten." Her voice quiet._

 _"She is by far the youngest we have seen brought here. They are monsters." The feminine voice held a sharp edge._

 _"You must be strong to survive here, you must learn to adapt." Ke'tak stated firmly._

 _"I…I will try…"_

Adapt indeed. No other lesson she had learned in the facility would ever prepare her for the situation she found herself in now. She had never been trained in how to deal with being free. Her memories of her time before the caretakers was limited and overshadowed by her captivity.

The transporter room was bright, there were voices flowing and humming machines tickling her senses. Kirk slowly detached her from his middle and she blinked back to reality.

"I'm sorry James." She mumbled softly stepping back slightly her hands clasping together in front of her. She tried very hard not to fidget. A couple of the crew members raised eyebrows at the new addition and how she addressed the Admiral. She had always assumed they would leave with out her, she never imagined they would take her with them. She wasn't sure if she would have gone with them given a choice. This was all terrifying and new. She refused to open her emotional and mental shields yet until she had a better understanding of where she was and who she was surrounded by.

"Don't worry about it…" His voice gentle as he took in her demeanor. He debated telling her to return to calling him Admiral in public at least but figured that was for another time.

"You're safe here, we'll take care of you…" His voice firm but comforting. She nodded absently. She really hoped so. Spock eyed her and for the first time after the emotional transference, she wondered what he had seen in her mind.

"I think we have many things to discuss." His eyebrow lifting slightly as he looked at her. She was struck by the similarities and the differences between Nirak and this half Vulcan ambassador Spock.

Kirk nodded to Uhura and McCoy before gently touching Dalia's shoulder to guide her to the ready room. She followed silently taking in the hallways and struck by the oddity of moving around freely. Every know and then she would catch herself staring at the half Vulcan. It was made even more awkward when she did it while they were in the turbo lift. Spock refrained from engaging her, waiting for the security of the ready room.

"You could take a picture." Kirk broke the silence his voice slightly teasing. She flushed furiously at being caught staring.

"I'm sorry I don't mean to stare, it's just that he reminds me of a Vulcan who helped me at the facility." Her voice quick and apologetic.

"I take it he was an older Vulcan." Kirk continued. She was about to respond when Spock interrupted.

"Admiral I believe it would be wise to wait until we reach the ready room." His voice calm and firm. Kirk held his hands up in surrender but winked at her. She found his behavior slightly confusing. He was more playful and energetic than he had been at the facility. Is this how earthlings generally behave when they are not in a zoo? Differentiating behavior was very confusing. Gleaming their thoughts at the facility didn't prepare her for this. The others experience outside of the facility were very different than the earthlings. Nirak was very focused on logic and didn't exude any playful behavior, and barely allowed her access to his thoughts. The two on either side of her came from violent militaristic cultures, so she never saw anything she would consider fun or akin to comfort. She had a very hard time remembering her own culture, but she was fast becoming enamored with the earthlings. They were very dynamic and interesting.

She was brought out of her thoughts by the door opening to a small room with a long table, she hadn't realized they had walked off the turbo lift.

-A few hours later-

Dalia was tired. She had never talked so much in her life. She was comforted by the Vulcans presence and shared her experience at the facility more freely. She tried her best to be as accurate as possible and showing Spock when she could not find the words. During the debriefing she did not need to use her empathy to see the pity plastered on the Admirals face.

"This will be a difficult transition for you." Spock finished in his calm almost soothing tone. Dalia nodded solemnly.

"We will do everything in our power to help," Kirk added with a hopeful and determined smile. Shooting Spock a look at his lack of sympathy. She wanted to tell Kirk there was no need to condemn his lack of 'emotion' concerning her, she knew what Vulcans were capable of, and that Spocks blunt delivery was more comforting than Kirks pity and soft-spoken words. These softer and expressive emotions were very difficult for her to deal with. Part of her was trying to hold it close and another was trying to hold it at arm's length. It made her heart squirm.

"Maybe a few more lessons with McCoy will help." He added sending her a wink. She gave him a hesitant smile in return. Spock however turned to the Admiral with an eyebrow raised.

"I do not see how Doctor McCoy is a qualified teacher in this matter." His voice hinting at disbelief. She let out a small giggle at his misunderstanding. Which in turn made Kirk give her a bright genuine smile in return. A small sliver of hope slide into her heart as she watched them banter. These were good people and they had opened a world of opportunities for her to explore. She just needed to get over the fact that it terrified. Her mood dropped slightly, she had a sudden urge to be alone.

"Is it alright if I rest now?" she broke in with a small smile.

"Of course, I think we have everything. I'll write a report to Starfleet and we'll contact Betazed about possible family and reacclimating programs. I would bet my Admiralty that they have one of the best programs." Kirk stated as he stood up gesturing for her to meet him at the door. As they were about to leave Spock chimed in.

"Jim I don't believe it is wise to bet your rank with out further information of their program." For a second she could have sworn it was more of a jab than a misunderstanding of the joke, but she didn't know this Vulcan well enough to understand the nuances of his behavior. Kirk just shook his head with a small smile as they walked through the corridors to her assigned quarters.

"Admiral Kirk" a hail came in overhead that made Dalia jump and Kirk chuckle.

"Kirk here," his voice all business.

"Admiral we've finished the calculations you requested. It looks like it's going to take us close to a year to get home at maximum warp." Kirk made a weird noise Dalia couldn't comprehend. It was a mix between and a choke and snort of disbelief.

"What?! How did…where…" He was completely flabbergasted, she chuckled softly to herself. He shot her a look of mock irritation.

"You're incredibly lucky that our ship was this far out on deep space exploration and that Spock was only a small distance from us when we got your distress signal, or you would have been there a lot longer than a month." The voice continued their voice heavy with amusement.

"Thank you, Captain Sulu." And with that they were back to walking silently through the halls. She saw him open and close his mouth trying to find something to say. She couldn't help but laugh at his behavior, some of the tension in his shoulders melted away.

"You haven't read my mind or emotions, have you." It was a statement not a question.

"I put my shields up the instant we appeared on your ship. I don't know what kind of emotions are on the ship and I know what happens when you are unprepared." She saw him flinch slightly. She sighed softly, she didn't mean for these things to hurt him. She wanted to make him feel better, she searched her mind for something that would hopefully move him from pity.

"It will take time…I will adapt." She smiled reassuringly. He gave her a small one in return. He turned when they stopped in front of a door.

"Here's your room." He looked like he wanted to say something more but let it drop.

"Thank you James." She mustered a thankful smile before entering the room. It was bigger than her domicile at the facility but the ceiling was shorter. She took a small look around the room quickly, it was sparse of personal things but nice enough, as she moved back towards the door suddenly she felt this sudden itching creep across her skin. Her breathing started to come in shallow as a panic attack started to come on. She stumbled along the wall until she found her way into the bathroom, she climbed into the tub and curled up. This was all too much, the lack of familiarity was causing shudders to rack her body. She wanted to open herself to the people around her to find comfort, but she had no idea what she would find if she did.

There was a chime but she didn't know what it meant. The next thing she heard was the sound of the door whooshing open. She was too disoriented to really register.

"Open your shield." The soothing strong tone stated. Slowly piece by piece she lowered her empathy shield. There were immediate emotions from the Vulcan in front of her. She sensed relief as the strongest. She slowly stretched outward picking up a few people at a time, using the technique Nirak instructed; the ability to tune out without shields. Once she got use to emotions like in the facility, she could sense the 'wave lengths' and treat them like white noise. She only used the shields to protect from severe emotions.

"All these emotions that you hold in is unhealthy. If you would like I can guide you in meditation as the Vulcan Nirak did for you before." He continued after a minute.

"I would really appreciate that." She responded with a nod. He tilted his head in acknowledgement.

"What did you see?" Her voice shaky.

"If you are referring to the emotional transference in the facility, I only saw the emotions and memories associated with Nirak. I saw nothing else other than the things you showed me today." He answered evenly.

"Oh…okay." She nodded her voice tired, resigned and relieved. She turned her sensing to the people on the ship touching each person's emotions carefully. The emotions of the ship were so different from the facility. She felt hope and happiness pulse through out the ship. There were a few people frustrated and angry, but the positive emotions far outweighed the negative. It caused an odd feeling to bloom in her chest. Maybe this wouldn't be so terrifying after all.

-Month Two-

Dalia sat crossed legged on one of the cushions Spock had provided. She had been spending an hour almost every day in his quarters working on control and empathy. She was in the middle of following a particular crew member as they went about their duties. If Spock knew what she was doing he would probably 'scold' her, but she was just too fascinated not to explore through the earthling's perspective. Her practice went from delving telepathically into the persons perspective to following their emotional signature through the ship. Currently she was following the ensign with empathy, she didn't really find the engineering section all that interesting to watch so she had stopped. As the clock in the room rang the top of the hour the ensign's emotions fluctuated from anxiety to excitement and relief. Dalia chuckled to herself slightly. Earthlings were so peculiar. Dalia kept her focus to see if the ensign would go to the mess hall, she loved when they did. Every time she had been the atmosphere was different. Everyone stared in wonder and fascination but were reserved when they spoke to her, she hoped one day she could walk into the mess hall and feel what the other crew felt; peace, relaxation and belonging.

The ensign was in her quarters, Dalia was a little dejected, but after a few minutes the ensign's emotions shifted again to ones that didn't make any sense. The ensign was anxious and excited. Dalia wondered if she was reading a book but refrained from checking as she most likely wouldn't understand what it was about. A few minutes later her emotions spiked again. Dalia's forehead scrunched in thought and concentration. These emotions were different, anticipation and…arousal? A few minutes and the ensign's emotions were ebbing and flowing but over the same emotions. Dalia was too curious not to see. She reached out telepathically, and she squeaked in surprise and immediately pulled her conscious back. Her face was scarlet with embarrassment. That's what she gets for invading someone's privacy. She touched her flushed face and shook her head slightly trying to clear her thoughts.

"I take it you did something I advised against." Spocks calm voice interrupted her inner musings.

"I…I…caught two people having sex." Her voice guilty. The corner of Spocks lip twitched slightly. That was the closest thing to a laugh she had ever gotten from him. She was of smiled if she wasn't so embarrassed. She gathered herself up trying to refocus.

"No more invasion of privacy for me." She stated with the residual blush still on her cheeks, resituating herself on the cushion as she spoke. Spocks lip twitched again.

"Indeed."

-Month Four-

"And you think this will be a fun activity for me to try?" Dalia stared at the Admiral in curiosity as he handed her equipment. Both dressed in tight climbing outfits.

"I asked the others and they think rock climbing is dangerous and foolish." She smiled softly at the last word which made Kirk wonder if McCoy was the one she had talked to about this. It was no secret the Doctor hated this hobby.

"You'll be fine, this is the holodeck and all the safety protocols are in place." She stared at the equipment quizzical then glanced at him skeptically. Kirk was starting to wonder what McCoy had said to her, he could get a little carried away when he wanted to.

"If you say so James." She watched as he adjusted his equipment and she tried to mimic. After a few attempts she gave a frustrated huff. He chuckled slightly before helping.

They entered the holodeck and a moderate realistic cliffside stared back at them. From her protesting earlier, he was sure he was going to have to talk her into trying, but when he saw the look on her face, he knew she was in love. Her eyes held a new light he hadn't seen from her.

They approached the starting point and he walked through what to do, what to expect and emergency situations. He was going to take lead.

He started the climb going slowly and deliberately so she could see what he was doing. After a good ten minutes he fell into a zone. Everything melted away and it was just him and the cliffside. When he realized he had a companion he immediately jerked to look. He had no need to worry. Dalia was keeping with him perfectly. He wondered if she was using her telepathy to keep in rhythm with his movements. Her lack of response to that thought made him think otherwise.

Suddenly her foot slipped, and she skidded off the cliffside. His heart slammed into his chest until he saw her safety equipment catch her.

"Are you alright?" he called down. He could make out some scrapes but nothing serious, he hoped. McCoy was going to have a field day with this.

"You're both right," she stated a little breathless.

"This is fun and dangerous." A mischievous smile flashed across her face. Kirk raised his eyebrows as a disbelieving smile took hold of his features. He was going to stop but when she righted herself like he told her, she was making her way back up to him. This girl was something else.

-Month Six-

"Fascinating" Spock opened his eyes and glanced at Dalia who was seated across from him for one of her meditation sessions.

"What is fascinating?" He hoped she had not invaded another's privacy again. She flushed at the memory but answered softly.

"I know Vulcans have emotions but its another thing to see them expressing it through memories." Spock stiffened considerably.

"I didn't mean to snoop, it's just that I usually use you as a guide when I'm starting meditation and ending it and you were thinking about your wife and son. It was very sweet," Her smile soft and wistful.

"You miss them terribly." Her voice taking on a somber tone. Spock unsure how to respond remained quiet.

"Will you tell me about them?"

"Now don't go telling Jim or that green blooded hobgoblin about this, you hear me?" McCoys voice filled with mock seriousness.

"What is this drink called again?" Dalia glanced at the blue liquid cautiously. When she sniffed it, it didn't seem to have much of an aroma.

"Why don't you try some first." Just as she took a small swig the doors of McCoys office whooshed open.

"Bones I need something for…" Kirks voice trailed off as he took in the scene.

"Is that Romulan ale?"

"She seems to be doing exceedingly well in her studies. She's covered more in these six months and retained it better than some of the cadets I've taught. And she's covering both Earth and Betazed history. This kid is something else." Kirk reported as he discussed Dalia's progress with Spock.

"I do believe she dislikes being called…kid, Admiral." Spock added with hidden amusement.

"I do agree. The Vulcan Nirak she met at the facility taught her well." Spock continued.

As the crew got use to Dalia, they sought her out more and more. She made fast friends with most of the crew. They came to her with questions looking for advice while offering her a more personalized lesson on human culture and customs. She was the relationship guru to a lot of the crew and the therapist to others who felt lonely on this long expedition. She just exuded calm confidence that drew people to her like a moth to a flame.

Through this she was starting to see what she could be good at with the proper training. She didn't know what to expect on Betazed but she just hoped they would let her join Starfleet whenever she was done with her reacclimation program. She liked being around humans and their fascinating emotions.

-Month Eight-

"And this dance distracts men?" Dalia asked as she walked through the basics of the fan dance with Uhura in her quarters. The smile that Uhura gave her, said it worked extremely well. Which made Dalia laugh.

"There are times when unusual forms of distraction are required." She replied seductively.

"I don't think Kirk or Spock would appreciate these lessons." Dalia stated with a cheeky smile.

"I don't imagine they would, it's a good thing they'll never find out." The two broke into a fit of laughter. Once they calmed, they started the music back to the beginning.

"Now you want to move this way." Uhura instructed, demonstrating the motion and watching Dalia for her form. They practiced for a few hours.

"You'll be seducing and distracting with ease now." Uhura stated nudging the young woman playfully. Dalia let out a surprised giggle.

"Is there anyone on board you were planning to use this on?" Uhura raised her eyebrow expectantly a smile stretching across her face.

"No, I just saw you thinking about it a few days ago and thought it would be fun and entertaining to learn,"

"Besides I don't have time to think of anyone like that." It was true with everything happening she really didn't have time to date, not that there was anyone on the ship that made her want to.

"Thank you for the lessons, I really should be getting back to my studies." A thankful smile was followed by an apologetic one.

-Month Ten-

"When you told me about fencing I didn't think it would be this fun." Dalia was elated and sweaty as she parried Sulu's move.

"My pleasure, you're learning fast and seem to be the only one who can keep up with me on this ship." They laughed breathlessly before continuing the movements. They continued for a few hours in the holodeck. Dalia's body was starting to fatigue.

"I think we'll call it for the day, but if you keep this up you'll be a master swordsman in no time." She blushed lightly at the compliment.

"Thank you." She hoped he understood that she meant it more than the fencing practice. With out his ship and crew she wouldn't have been able to experience all the wonderful things the crew had shown her.

-Home Sweet Home?-

"Betazed within range, sir." With that message it felt as if the entire bridge had the air knocked out of them.

"She's finally going home." Kirk stated to no one a somber tone encasing his voice. Sulu nodded sadly.

"This ship won't be the same without her." Sulu added wistfully. The other bridge officers seemed to echo the sentiment.

"I'll go tell her."

* * *

Notes/Comments:

I have her meeting her love interest in Episode Five.

Thank you to Sassiebone, NaginiFay, booklover4179, Cathy Kley for adding this story to your alerts.

Thank you to systemman for the review and the catch.

Also thank you to those of you who are reading, hopefully you'll keep reading.

I don't think Sulu had his captaincy at this point in the time line but fuck it, I do what I want.

Have questions? Contact me whichever way is comfortable for you. Let me know what you loved, hated or anything in-between. See you next episode.


	4. Episode Four

Episode Four: A Year to Grow

 _"You are not relaxed." Nirak's voice was calm but firm. Her face screwed up in concentration._

 _"I'm trying." She was frustrated with the lack of progress._

 _"You must clear your mind." He instructed again. Dalia had been doing these exercises for the last few months without any real progress._

 _"Be'Hom, you are trying to hard to clear your mind. You need to relax." Ke'tak unexpectedly chimed from her right._

 _"I hate to admit it, but he is right. You must work on letting yourself relax." Gul Mila added from her left. Dalia ran a hand through her hair and huffed in frustration._

 _"I know what I need to do, but it is difficult to keep my shield up and not concentrate on anything." Her tone full of indignation._

 _"It feels like I'm just going in circles." She let out an exasperated groan and stood up._

 _"I'm going to my room." She huffed and marched away._

 _"She is a very emotional child." Nirak stated to the other two._

 _"Tell me about it." They both responded._

"Dalia please have a seat." The room was a mix of soft pastels and swirling patterns. She already missed the basic colors of the enterprise. The Enterprise would have stayed longer to evaluate the programs, but they had to leave a few hours after dropping her off. She was on her own again. The office of the Betazed ambassador was an inviting room but Dalias shoulders tensed as she took a seat in front of his desk. She had many images from the Enterprise crew of being called into offices and told to sit down. All the things she saw usually didn't go well. Adding in her own apprehension of the unfamiliar she knew was not going to relax anytime soon.

"The results of the blood test just came in I was thinking we could go over this together. I haven't looked at it yet," he shot her a small friendly smile, she could see he was trying to be friendly but she couldn't muster a smile in return she just looked at him apprehensively and nodded slowly for him to continue. She clenched her hands together in her lap. He raised an eyebrow at the odd behavior. It reminded him of a Vulcan if they had nervous ticks.

"There isn't a birth record on file," He stated glancing at the file on his Padd. She cocked her head to the side in confusion. She tried to recall the homes she grew up in but the only place she could ever remember was a beautiful waterfall in an unknown location that they had passed through before getting on the freighter. It never occurred to her that she might never have set foot on Betazed. She could only ever remember traveling. He grabbed her attention again when he sat up with a slightly surprised look on his face.

"Your father was Ambassador Knox?" She thought he meant it as a statement, but it came out as a question. He looked up quickly and sat forward.

"We haven't heard from him in almost twenty years—" he looked at her funny before looking back down at the padd and tapped it on his hand a few times. He let out a puff of air that sounded like a chuckle before falling back in his chair.

"He broke off ties almost a year before you were born." The ambassador shook his head as he chuckled.

"He wasn't married when we sent him, but we did send him with a young aid who was also single. They had been on assignment together for five years before you were born. Deep space really changes you." He murmured more to himself than to her letting out a little disbelieving chuckle.

"If they were both single why would he cut ties with Betazed, from what I've gathered you're very open with your emotions. Would they have been in trouble returning with me?" Dalia asked cautiously.

"There would have been very minor documentation issues, but you would have been welcome along with them." The ambassador didn't miss her lack of inclusion when referring to the betazed people.

"I was hoping you would be able to fill me in to see if we can fill some gaps. We always wondered what became of the two of them." A genuine interest took hold of him.

"Admiral Kirk didn't get too in depth during our brief interaction, but he sent a report of the things you told him. If you will permit me, I would like to do a deep mental and emotional scan." Dalia sat rigidly but nodded ever so slightly. He moved around to the front of his desk snagging the second chair and turned it, so they were facing each other.

"Please lower your shields." He gave her a disapproving look but said nothing. She could tell he didn't like that she had one up in the first place. From her reading Betazoids almost never used shields around each other.

Dalia sat patiently letting the memories flow in the order the Ambassador wanted. She watched him close his eyes in concentration and then there was a small probing sensation behind her eyes. It felt almost like the beginning of a headache but it wasn't painful. She was apprehensive but didn't try to fight him as he pushed further and further into her subconscious. The dark memories and emotions she had thought the Enterprise had helped diminish came roaring back and slammed into the two betazoid.

Dalia keeled over her hands cradling her head, her breath coming in short gasps. The ambassador flung himself back in his chair, his eyes unseeing, his knuckles white from gripping the arm rests so tightly.

"Please…don't…do that again." She heaved quietly trying to reign control. He finally looked at her and nodded slowly although the look of wide-eyed disbelief was still evident on his face.

"I think we'll call it a day. I'll have one of my aids show you to your new quarters." A small polite smile stretched across his face. He strained to offer her that much. She inclined her head politely and stood. As she slipped out of the room, she heard the Ambassador let out a sigh of relief. What little hope she had of her stay going well was dashed in that moment. She would have to figure out if she had any living relatives later.

-Month One-

Dalia stood outside the classroom of her first ever class on Betazed. She took a deep breath before moving close enough for it to open. She was hoping to get there early enough to avoid the awkward stares. That hope was short lived as the dozen or so Betazed already in the room locked onto her immediately. She fought the urge to pull her data padd to her chest as a makeshift shield. The only thing keeping her from doing so was the voices of Gul Mila and Ke'tak telling her to never show weakness especially to the enemy. She wouldn't call this group necessarily her enemies yet, but the unexpected inner monologue had her hold herself a little taller than before. She walked down the steps of the great lecture hall to be close to the board. With every step she felt the pulse of at least a dozen different minds pushing against her shield.

"Is there something you wanted to ask me?" she asked once she set her padd on the desk and turned to the group scattered around the room. Her voice was practiced calm but under the surface her skin prickled with irritation. She was expecting them to look abashed but that was hoping for too much. They merely stared in confusion or apprehension. Finally, one of the men toward the back spoke up.

"Is it true that you want to join Starfleet?"

"Yes"

"Why?"

"Because I have friends in Starfleet" with that she slipped into her seat and faced forward. She could sense that wasn't the most pertinent question they wanted to ask but it was what they were brave enough to ask. Her short answer didn't stop the constant pulse of minds trying to enter her thoughts. She heard people file in as it got closer to the start of the class and the pressure only increased.

She missed being on the Enterprise and being around humans, they didn't try to invade her inner most private thoughts without permission.

This was going to be a long year.

-Month Three-

As she learned more and got to know her teachers better, she started to get a better understanding of what position would be best for her in Starfleet. It was a relatively new position and perfect for a Betazoid; a ships counselor. She had been throwing herself in to Xeno psychology and sociology and she was surprising her teachers. They still couldn't get around the fact that she had been trained by a Vulcan at a young age to be so disciplined in almost everything she approached. She often ignored the odd stare she would get now and then. She was surpassing her classmates and that was only alienating her further. She wasn't completely alone she found that she had an Aunt on her mothers' side that was still alive but with her on campus and her Aunt being a free spirit and never in a place for more than a few days they hadn't actually met face to face. But she did find her Aunt very easy to video chat with regardless of the lack of personal history. She had become Dalia confidant during her early school experience.

"I got full marks on the last psych test we had." Dalia tried to suppress her excitement but betrayed herself with a vibrant smile.

"That's wonderful darling." Her Aunts melodic voice answered with equal excitement.

"I'll have to treat you to dinner when I make my way back home."

"Really?! When do you think that will be?" Dalia tried to keep the hope from filling her voice. Every attempt up to this point had yet to work out. Her aunt was always redirected by something or other at the last minute.

"I should be back within a week," A hopeful smile graced her lips.

"I am sorry things keep popping up." A small apologetic smile crossed her features. As soon as the apology was there it was gone and she continued on about her current adventure. Dalia sighed softly knowing that she probably wouldn't see this woman any time soon. She got over her self-pity and immersed herself into her aunts possibly exaggerated story about a run in she had with something that resembled a warthog on a planet Dalia had never heard of.

"…and then what happened?"

-Month Five-

Dalia thought by this point people would get over the fact that she shielded her thoughts. This was an error in judgement because it only got worse. She assumed it was because some had taken to making a game out of it. A game centered around who could crack her shield first. This thoroughly annoyed the young Betazoid.

She was on her way back to her dorms from a particularly stressful test, when she felt the telltale sign that a few different people were pushing against her shield. Her patience and emotional control were close to the limit. Dalia sped up trying to put distance between them and her, hoping that this attempt would end quickly. After a few seconds she realized they were following her, she growled under her breath. A few turns down hallways she didn't need to take and a jog across a courtyard latter they were still following her.

She finally got fed up. She waited until they moved close before lowering her shields fully, she thought of the worst things that had happened in the "zoo" and shoved them at the Betazoids that were trying to pry into her head. She saw the triumph before the utter horror flash across their features. She felt a sick satisfaction at their reactions. The rapid images coupled with the turbulent emotions overwhelmed them. She drew shields back up and re-centered herself before walking away. A sense of guilt crept to the forefront of her mind but she quickly shoved it down with the rest of the emotions she refused to deal with.

In her quick retreat she missed the emotional aftermath, the two women were holding each other crying, the two men were crouching on the ground gripping their heads.

"What the hell was that?" one asked no one in particular. The game ended that day.

-Month Seven-

Dalia was reading an article on her data padd while she was eating her lunch in the school commissary when someone stopped just next to her table. She didn't feel the mental push of someone trying to read her mind and they had yet to make any noise to gain her attention, so she ignored them. After a few minutes they finally spoke.

"Do you mind if I sit here?" the stranger asked gesturing to the seat across from her. She waved her hand not looking up from the article.

"That must be a really good read." The stranger added as they slid into the seat with their lunch. Her eyebrow raised but she continued to stay focused on her article.

They chuckled softly. "Hint taken." Dalia felt a little guilty for being rude so she finally looked up to apologize. When she registered who was sitting across from her, she swallowed whatever reply she was about to make. She must have made a weird face because the stranger chuckled again.

"Not what you were expecting?" The stranger responded with mirth in his voice.

"Your Ambassador Grax son." She dropped her voice and all but hissed at him. He broke out in a grin.

"The one and only," amusement danced behind his eyes. After a quick look around the commissary she realized no one was really looking at their table. She calmed down slightly turning back to the man in front of her, shooting him a cautious look.

"What are you doing sitting with me?" she couldn't hide the suspicion from her voice. He gave her a genuine smile.

"Us Ambassador kids got to stick together, right?"

-Month Nine-

Dalia had no idea why Barin Grax chose to be her friend but she was glad he pestered her until she grudgingly let him into her life. Her Aunt who she had yet to meet face to face kept telling her to take advantage of the male's attention. That was an awkward conversation to say the least.

"I've told you a thousand times before, we're just friends." Dalia replied exasperation coloring her voice.

"I know darling but how you've managed to be surrounded by him and not give in to carnal desires is beyond me." Her voice was playfully wistful. Dalia felt her entire body flush which was only made worse by her Aunts following laugh at her reaction.

"Darling you're a betazed you should be able to handle this conversation. Have I taught you nothing over our time together?" Her voice taking on a mock disappointment. Dalia worked to calm her embarrassment and rolled her eyes.

"We've known each other less than a year, before this I was raised by warriors. The sex talk didn't come up often especially since they figured it wouldn't be something I would ever experience." Her voice filled with sarcasm and disdain.

"I saw images and flashes of feelings when people would…think about it." Her voice trailing as she tried to keep the images and emotions from rushing back. This conversation was already awkward enough without that adding to it.

"The people around me were not the best role models for sexual education." She continued giving her aunt a look.

"Ah yes a Klingon, Cardassian and a Vulcan. Yes, I can see how you would not know how to explore your most treasured instinct." Her aunt replied thoughtfully.

"I don't know if it's the most treasured…" Dalia mumbled to herself. Her aunt continued on but Dalia was only half paying attention as usual. She was discreetly checking her messages. She came across one from Starfleet. She swallowed thickly, she had applied months back and this had been nagging at the back of her mind ever since. Her aunt must have noticed the change because she stopped talking about her trip.

"Dalia darling, what's the matter?" her voice showing hints of concern. Dalia shook her head to pull herself the trance and looked back to her aunt.

"Sorry, I just got a message from Starfleet." She stated distracted.

"Well open it, that's the only way to know what it says." Humor lacing her aunts voice. Dalia wanted to laugh along with her, but it came out choked. Her hand hovered over the message before she closed her eyes and opened the message. She heard a chuckle from her aunt.

"Oh darling…" she trailed out affectionately. Dalia pried one eye open and glanced at the message, her second eye popped open when the first line registered with her stressed mind.

"I got accepted to Starfleet!" excitement bursting through her chest.

"I expected as much, you are a very dedicated girl." Her aunt replied with a smile gracing her lips. Dalia barely registered what her aunt had said.

"Thank you, I have to go." She shot out to her aunt barely waiting for a reply before ending the comm. She sat her body thrumming not sure what to do first.

"I have to go tell Jim!"

* * *

Sorry this took so long, I'm in school and I have a lot of reading and writing for my classes and had to pick which writing was more important. Hopefully you'll forgive me. I originally tried to do posting every other week but obviously I didn't keep to that and I can't currently keep to that. I only have a week break before I restart my quarter. I just want you to know I haven't forgotten about this story, just really busy.

Notes:

Its given that she would be in contact with the Enterprise crew during the year just very sparingly.

Barin Grax is not a love interest for the story, he might be a point of contention later but I wanted to give her a friend. He won't be in the story much but he'll probably crop up here and there.

Sorry nothing super exciting or romantic has happened yet. Origin chapters are important but not as fun as the meat of the story, so bear with me.


End file.
